Tips All Online Entrepreneurs Should Know About Building a Brand

Something to remember as an online entrepreneur is that your brand is one of the most important aspects of your business. It is what distinguishes you from the thousands of other companies online. It is also what will attract consumers and keep returning for more. There are a few tips all online entrepreneurs should know about building a successful brand.

Never Try To Imitate Others

Never try to imitate other companies online. Do not try to imitate another brand or use aspects that seem popular in the newest companies. You want to be as original as possible with your brand appearance, message and personality. Make it a true reflection of the products or services that you are offering and not something artificial pieced together purely from market research. This will help your brand to stand out in the oversaturated online marketplace.

Offer Consumers Something Unique

Your brand and your product or service are bound together tightly and are inseparable. This is why you must be certain that you are offering something unique. Be sure that your product or service is filling a need that no other company can. The uniqueness of what you are offering is going to enhance your brand, excite customers and get you noticed online.

Have a Real Space to Meet Clients, Partners or Vendors

Virtual offices are great and cost-efficient although you also want to have a real space to meet clients, partners or vendors. This is going to improve your brand by showing your company is professional, dedicated and real instead of just an online hobby. You should look for a serviced office space to rent. This allows you to use the space when you want without having to worry about the overhead of lengthy leases or owning an actual building.

Strive For Transparency and Honesty

Some of the most successful new brands today are popular because they are transparent. This means that customers feel like they know what is going on within the company. There is just the thinnest wall between the brand and the consumers. You want to strive for transparency and honesty in all of your online endeavours with the brand. Do not try to hide or obfuscate issues. Be open and honest with consumers as much as possible.

Interact Through Social Media

A final tip is to interact through social media. Do not rely on a static website with an impersonal email address. You want to have branded social media accounts across multiple platforms. Make regular postings that help to build your brand and showcase the company personality. Respond to people who are asking legitimate questions. Interacting through social media can make consumers feel much closer to your brand. This will help to encourage brand loyalty and engagement in ways that cannot be done through most other forms of marketing.

You need to be careful when building your brand online. Months of work could be thrown away in seconds if you make a major mistake. Focus on your brand and do everything possible to make it unique. If you follow these tips, then you will be well on your way to having a successful online brand.

Building Brand – The Power of Social Media from Daryl D’Souza at TEDxRyersonU on November 2012.